Portable office



Oct. 29, 1968 J. D. MORTENSEN 3,408,126

PORTABLE OFFI CE Filed Jan. 25, 1967 INVENTOR. JOYCE D. MORTENSEN BY Wg'M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,408,126 PORTABLE OFFICE Joyce D. Mortensen, 3331 W. Roanoke, Phoenix, Ariz. 85009 Filed Jan. 25, 1967, Ser. No. 611,756 4 Claims. (Cl. 312-183) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A valise having a box-like body and a hinged cover adapted for use as a portable office. The body has partitions defining compartments used for file storage. The cover has pockets and holding devices for orderly storage of a comprehensive assortment of ofiice and secretarial supplies.

Background of the invention This invention relates to office equipment and supplies.

More particularly, the invention concerns a valise for storage and transportation of ofiice records and secretarial supplies.

In a further aspect, the invention concerns a valise of the above type having compartments, pockets, and holding devices for orderly storage and transportation of a comprehensive assortment of ofiice records and secretarial supplies.

Prior art devices in this field are exemplified by Patent No. 3,164,430, G. K. Beam et al., entitled Home File Box, which describes a home filing box which has compartments for the filing of records and storage of postage stamps to facilitate the handling of household bills. Other prior .art devices include small boxes and resilient carrying cases to contain such minor items as pens, pencils and pencil Sharpeners.

Public stenographers and traveling secretaries are required to maintain ofiice records and secretarial supplies which must be transported from place to place and avail able for immediate use. Home owners and small businesses, while usually lacking space and funds for appropriate file cabinets, desks, and other secretarial and bookkeeping accommodations, are required to maintain some type of facilities for the storage of records and the accomplishment of routine business. While the prior art devices may be adequate for the storage and transportation of particular items within a limited scope of activity, they do not provide universal utility.

Summary of the invention Commensurate with the foregoing, it would be highly advantageous to provide a portable ofiice device.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a valise constructed as a portable ofiice and adapted for orderly storage and transportation of a comprehensive assortment of office records and secretarial supplies.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a portable oflice having specialized compartments, pockets, and holders for sorted storage of secretarial and bookkeeping requirements.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a portable oifice as described above which is economical to manufacture, lightweight, compact and easily transported.

To achieve the objectives of my invention, I provide a valise having a hinged cover. Analogous to a common suitcase, a latch opposes the hinge for detachably securing the cover during storage or while being transported by the attached handle. Spaced vertical partitions extending between the front and rear side panels of the body of the valise define compartments of appropriate width for filing and storage of standard papers and ofiice supplies.

One compartment houses an expandable check file. A hinged arm is lowered and secured over the top of the checks to retain them during transportation. An adjustable self-standing file folder holder is contained in another compartment. The holder is normally stored on edge and positioned upright during use. Other partitions and dividers provide compartmentalized storage for loose papers, pens, pencils, and miscellaneous items.

An elongate panel carried within the cover extends between the end panels and inwardly from the rear side panel in a spaced relationship from the top cover member. Dividers extending between the elongate panel and the top form pockets for the storage of envelopes, stationery, and ledgers. A ferromagnetic strip secured to the underside of the top adjacent the front side panel magnetically retains such items as a hand pencil sharpener, a stapler, and clips for holding miscellaneous smaller items.

Brief description of the drawings The aforementioned objects and advantages of the present invention along with a more knowledgeable understanding of same will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention as it would appear when closed and ready for storage or transportation;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the portable ofiice of FIG. 1 as it would appear when opened and ready for use and particularly illustrating a preferred interior ar rangement; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view in section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2 and particularly illustrating the storage compartments contained within the cover.

Description of the preferred embodiment Turning now to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals indicate corresponding elements throughout the several figures. Attention is particularly directed to FIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrate a presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

First provided is a valise having a main body and a cover generally designated by the reference characters 7 and 8 respectively. The body 7 consists of a rectangular base 9, vertically extending front and rear panels 10 and 10a, and vertically extending side panels 11 and 11a. The cover 8 has a rectangular top 12 and depending front and rear panels 13 and 13a and end closure panels 14 and 14a. A pair of hinges 17 pivotally attach the up per edge of the panel 10a to the lower edge of the panel 130. As particularly noted in FIG. 1, the hinges 17 permit the panels of the cover 8 to abut the respective panels of the body 7 when the portable office is closed and ready for storage or transportation. Clasps 18 and a lock 19 analogous to those used in normal valise construction are employed to retain the valise in the closed position. A handle 20 secured to the panel 10 provides carrying means.

Referring to FIG. 2, interior construction details of a preferred embodiment of the present invention are specifically detailed. A pair of vertically spaced partitions 21 and 22 extend between the front and rear panels 10 and 10a of the body 7. A divider 23 extends transversely between the partitions 21 and 22. Compartments A, B, C, and D are defined within the body 7 by the appropriate panels, partitions and dividers. An

' expandable check file 24 is encased within the compartment A. An arm 27 pivotally mounted within the expandable check file 24 retains the checks 28 during transportation. Not specifically herein illustrated but to be understood by those skilled in the art, the arm 27 is retained in the lowered position by "spring, magnetic or other conventional means. An adjustable file folder holder 29 containing files 30 is contained within the compartment B. The files and holder may be stored on its edge and positioned upright during use. The compartments C and D are primarily intended for the storage of miscellaneous papers and supplies as exemplified by the pencils 31 contained within the compartment D.

An elongate panel 32 abutting the panel 13a extends between the panels 14 and 14a in a spaced relationship with the top 12 within the cover 8. The elongate panel 32 will be hereinafter described in greater detail. A ferromagnetic strip 33 is secured to the underside of the top 12 in a close relationship to the panel 13. Miscellaneous secretarial items herein illustrated as a pencil sharpener 34, a clip for holding a packet of postage stamps 37, and a stapler 38 are magnetically retained against the strip 33.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a portion of the construction of the top 8 is expressly detailed. The elongate panel 32 extends between the end panels 14 and 14a of the cover 8 in a spaced relationship with the top 12. Dividers 39 define compartments within this space for the orderly storage of secretarial items herein illustrated as large envelopes 40, small envelops 41, a pocket dictitonary 42, miscellaneous papers 43, a bookkeeping ledger 44, and a packet of stationery 47.

Various changes in the device herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to persons skilled in the art. One such modification may include the attachment of spring-loaded clips directly to the underside of the top 12. Another apparent modification would incorporate locking covers over the compartments C and D. Such modifications and variations, while not explicitly denoted in the foregoing specification, do not deviate from the teachings of the present invention and are intended to be included in the spirit and scope thereof and must be made with a fair interpretation of the following claims.

Having fully described and disclosed the invention and what I conceive to be the presently preferred embodiments thereof in such a manner as to enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice the same, I claim:

1. A valise constructed as a portable oflice and adapted for orderly storage and transportation of a comprehensive assortment of oflice records and secretarial supplies, said valise comprising:

(a) a body having a substantially rectangular hori- 4 zontal base and vertically extending front, rear, and end panels;

(b) a cover having a substantially rectangular top and vertically depending front, rear, and end panels, the upper edges of the panels of said body abutting the lower edges of the respective panels of said cover when said cover is positioned over said body to form aclosed case; i

(c) hinge means adjoining the rear panel of said cover to the rear panel of said body;

(d) latch means opposing said hinge means for detacha-bly securing said cover in closed relationship with said body;

(e) a handle disposed upon one of the panels of said body; 7

(f) spaced vertical partitions extending between the front and rear panels of said 'body, said partitions defining compartments of appropriate Widths for filing and storage of standard papers and ofiice supplies;

(g) an elongate panel disposed within. said cover, extending between the end panels and extending inwardly from the rear panel in a spaced relationship to a portion of the top of said cover;

(h) spaced dividers extending between the elongate panel and the top of said cover, said dividers defining pockets of varying widths for the storage of envelopes, papers, and books; and

(i) a ferromagnetic strip disposed along the underside of the top of said cover adjacent the front panel thereof.

2. The portable office of claim 1, wherein one of said spaced vertical partitions defines a compartment appropriate to encase an expandable card file.

3. The portable office of claim 1, including a transverse divider extending between two of said vertical partitions.

4. The portable ofiice of claim 1, including a spring clip attached to the underside of the top of said cover.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,875,010 2/1959 Sola et a1. 312-183 X 2,966,992 1/ 1961 Dunkelberger et al. 2l1-87 3,123,190 3/1964 Litton -51 3,224,824 12/1965 Remke 312183 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

